Council For Learning Disabilities

Mission Statement:

The Council for Learning Disabilities (CLD), an international organization composed of professionals who represent diverse disciplines, is committed to enhancing the education and quality of life for individuals with learning disabilities across the life span. CLD accomplishes this by promoting and disseminating evidence-based research and practices related to the education of individuals with learning disabilities. In addition, CLD fosters (a) collaboration among professionals; (b) development of leaders in the field; and (c) advocacy for policies that support individuals with learning disabilities at local, state, and national levels.

CLD Updates:

2017 International Conference on Learning Disabilities: The Call for Proposals for the 2017 Conference is now available on our website. Click Here to get more information on the requirements and the submission process.

Anniversary of ADA: For a message from Retired Senator Tom Harkin regarding the anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, click to our legislative page Here.

2016 Conference Presentations: Power points and other information from our 2016 Conference presentations are now available on our website. Make sure you check out all the great information available from our conference! 2016 Presentations

Job Postings: Check out our Job Postings page! These will be pre-approved job postings for university or other high-level positions. Look under Professional Development – Job Postings.

LEGISLATIVE ALERTS:

From OSERS:
The Office of Special Education and Rehabilitation Services (OSERS) has received communications from stakeholders, including parents, advocacy groups, and national disability organizations, who believe that state and local educational agencies (SEAs and LEAs) are reluctant to reference or use dyslexia, dyscalculia, and dysgraphia in evaluations, eligibility determinations, or in developing the individualized education program (IEP) under the IDEA.

This policy guidance letter clarifies that there is nothing in the IDEA that would prohibit the use of the terms dyslexia, dyscalculia and dysgraphia in IDEA evaluation, eligibility determinations, or IEP documents.

From CCD:
The U.S. Department of Education has said in a final rule published late August 2015 that states will no longer be allowed to offer modified tests based on modified standards. Previously, under the 2% rule states could count up to 2% of their students as proficient under NCLB. That will no longer be the case.

See a letter from the Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities(CCD) to Secretary Duncan thanking him for this change on our CCD Updates page.

Reauthorization of the ESEA as the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)The U.S. Department of Education has released the final regulations for The Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015 (ESSA). CLD's Liaison Committee co-chairs Roberta Strosnider and Debi Gartland attended an ED Department meeting on Dec. 1 in which the ESSA regulations were highlighted.
Click here Fact Sheet for the recently released Fact Sheet and remember to bookmark the following to keep up with ESSA: http://2.ed.gov/policy/elsec/leg/essa/index.html.